Needle-package.



E. L. ALLEN.

NEEDLE PACKAGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.- 17, 1913. V 1,101 ,380; Patented June 23, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

E. L. ALLEN.

NEEDLE PACKAGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.17, 191s.

Patented June 23, 1914.

I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ERNEST LITPTON ALLEN, OF BEOLEY, NEAR BEDDIICI-I, ENGLAND.

NEEDLE-PACKAGE.

specification of Letters Patent. t t J gg 1914.

Application filed March 17,1913. Serial No. 754,986,

Toall whom it may concern ALLEN, a subject of-the Kingdom of Great-Britain, residing at Fa rvlew, Beoley, near Redditch, in the county ofWorcester, Eng

land, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inNeedle-Packages, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to .a means for stickingneedles in such amannerthat the heads may be spread apart in .one plane to a fan shape form soas to not onlyeflectively display the needles, ;but .rendergpossible aneasy selection of any particular needle from the group, while atthe sametime such sticking is effected in an ordinary stlcking machine.

In accordance with this invention the sticking of the needles iseffected in a flexible material, and in such a manner that while beingcapable of being opened out and displayed in the fan shaped form theymay be again closed together into the parallel form usual in the case ofa packet of cloth stuck needles, and may be so arranged in cases orwrappers that upon the opening of the case or cover the needles whichare of parallel and close formation while in the case are automaticallyspread into the fan shape formation by the action of opening the case.

In order that this invention may be clearly understood and more easilycarried into practice reference may be had to the appended three sheetsof explanatory drawings, upon which Figure 1 illustrates the inner partof the case containing needles, the sticking of which has been effectedin accordance with these improvements. Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig.1, but illustrating the needles when expanded into the fan likeformation. Fig. 3 shows the needle case complete with the outer casingand in the open position.

Fig. 4 is a similar View to Fig. 3, but illus- I I 1 open. Fig. 9 is aView of the case shown Be it known that I, ERNEST LUPTON- the easyextraction of any needle may be attained. Fig. 10 is an elevation of thecase when closed.

In carrying this invention into effect the flexible material into whichthe needles are stuck preferably consists of a strip of india rubber abut may be of other material such as a strip of felt,-leather, cork orcloth of sufficient thickness and closeness of texture.

The sticking of .the needles is .eflected in parallel and closeformation in an ordinary sticking machine and referring to Figs. 1 to 3the flexible material into which the needles have been stuck is attachedat the ends at to the inner part Z) of the needle case, a crank or camarrangement 03 being provided and by the operation of which the flexiblematerial is expanded into a circular shape, thus opening out the needlesinto the expanded formation shown in Fig. 2. If desired the extendedends a of the flexible pad may be incased in metal having small groovesand depressions, which small depressions b in the case I) enter so as toallow the ends of the flexible material to'have a limited amount ofsliding action when the flexible material is operated upon by the part dand thereby prevent the unequal distortion of the pad a.

In the modification illustrated by Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the flexiblematerial a may be centrally securedin the inner case b by a small point12 in the metal entering the face of the pad, a form of arch d beingprovided under the center of the flexible mate rial, so that as theprojections b on the sliding outer case b bear against the ext-remitiesa of the flexible pad, such pad is caused to take the position shown inFig. 4, the needles being thereby opened out to the fan shaped formationupon the termination of the opening of the sliding case.

In the case of show cards the flexible pad a may be bent to the requiredcircle and inserted within a suitable slot such as c in the show card aFig. 7 being retained in position by an adhesive backing of canvas orother such material at the back of the show card. I

In the application to needle cases of a folding kind as shown in Figs.8, 9 and 10, the flexible pad or is bent to a circle and secured in thatcondition to a suitable part of the wrapper f preferably in such aposition that by bending over the wrapper as shown in Fig. 9 the needlescan be readily extracted.

It will be obvious that the method of displaying the needles on showcards may be' varied to a considerable extent as also the means forsecuring them in their fan shaped form upon such show cards, while theabove described means for embodying such arrangement in conjunction withneedle Copies 0! Chi! patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing Washington, D. G. 7

2. A needle package comprising a carrying part, a flexible needle holdersecured to said part andadapted to hold needles'in its normal'non-flexposition parallel with each other, and means to flex said holder to anabnormal position to spread the needles apart for display. 7

3. A needle holder comprising in combination, a flexible member adaptedto receive the needles and to hold them normally parallel to each other,and means for retaining said member in a flexed or distorted c'onditionto thereby'separate those ends of the needles which are remote from theholder, i

substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

j ERNEST LUPTON ALLEN.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR LEWIS, GERTRUDE LEWIS;

the Comminioner o! Yatentm l l

